Anyone want a bloodhound??? An EXPERT in getting out of any kind of confinement. She can open doors with lever handles or round. If she ever gets outside the house, she will sit and wait for your return. Her funny personality and being a great bloodhound 99.99999% of the time keeps her from any animal shelter or me giving her away. Don't panic and don't scream at me .... I'm kinda joking here and need some space to vent as I tell the story from today. Thank you.
When I left at 10:42am to drive 27 miles to Best Buy, I was using the tested proven security of a tight, a very tight, cord tied around the bedroom door (she is behind that door), stretched tightly to another door handle that goes to a closet maybe 10 feet away.
The theory being ... if she pulled the doorknob from inside the bedroom, the tension from pulling would tighten the cord from the opposite direction and prevent her from opening the door. This has worked many times since her last escape almost a month ago
This is the other doorknob the cord is tied to. I double checked both doors before tying the cord to make sure their latches were in place and would prevent either door from opening.
When I arrived home at 12:53pm .... around 2 hours and 11 minutes later .... I saw that top photo, Stella standing next to her LAST apple out of five of them. I bought some great Red Delicious apples just yesterday morning. I was in total shock about her standing there, a lot more than the damaged fruit.
For those that read the post this morning you may remember it was suppose to start raining at noon. When I walked out of the store it sure didn't look like rain nor did it rain at home ... so that isn't what made her want to escape. Maybe she was hungry since I was almost two hours late serving her lunch??? Who knows??? LOL
All I could think about was HOW DID SHE GET THAT DOOR OPEN ?????? God Almighty she is good!!!!! Anything I have tried the past 3 years and 4 months with a 18 month gap of nothing in the middle ... she has figured out ways of escaping !!!! I cannot tell you all that she has destroyed in those first 22 months ... but to give you an idea I'll mention the word "drywall."
Today, she had opened the bedroom door just enough to chew the cord in half, thus getting out. I guess by her pulling inside with her mouth and jaws around the door knob, it popped the closet door open releasing the tension on the cord. THEN she probably chewed the cord in half.
I glanced to my left and saw what was left of a new bundle of 7 bananas. Obviously from all the small brown marks on the floor, she had not only eaten them but had walked on soft bananas and the peelings, with sigs of her paws on the floor.
She has not been sick today, in any way. This isn't the first time she ate all of my fruit sitting in bowls on the kitchen table or on the counter. The first week I had her in September 2015, I was outside mowing the yard while she ate all of my bananas, apples, half of a whole pineapple, three mangos minus the pits (which are poisonous), and four kiwi. She didn't get sick then either.
Like I said I was in shock. At least there was no damage in the bedroom like in the past. She did not touch my desk and probably never walked in the computer room. She walked up to me slightly cowering, slowly wagging her tail. She knew she had done something she shouldn't have. When she looks up with those eyes of hers, any frustrated or angry feelings I have are always gone instantly. She really is a great bloodhound.
For new readers, I was her 4th owner in her first 6 years of life.
Seeing that she had escaped took away any excitement I had about buying the Apple Watch. Here I am just starting to set it up, getting ready to change the face and move the information to where I want it on my watch face.
With Stella's escape I was mentally stymied again, slightly confused on what do I do now? Will I ever be able to leave my house again while she is living here? Am I a prisoner in my own home? She had 18 months of perfect manners, never trying to escape with just a closed door. There were times during that 18 months that I was gone 8-10 hours visiting friends.
Later in the afternoon she had a second change ... a short test. I had to go buy some dog food. I had two choices ... take her with me for the half mile trip to the store or leave her at home in the same set up ... only this time I would add the baby gate right next to the door in case she opened the bedroom door again.
In the afternoon test I was gone for less than 10 minutes, in and out with a new 40 pound bag of kibble. I was relieved when I pulled into the driveway to see she was not outside waiting on me. (that happened in 2015) I was thrilled as I looked in the kitchen door window to see the bedroom door still closed. I didn't care that I was only gone for 10 minutes at the most ... I was just happy she had not escaped.
As she walked out with Heidi wagging her tail, I praised her like I was training an 8 week old puppy again ... then gave her a couple of grain free, bacon flavored (what a combo that is) dog treats. I will continue that positive reinforcement no matter how long I am gone, IF she is good. She went almost a month since her last escape.
I am still learning all about the Apple Watch Series 4. In the few hours I have owned it, it is awesome !!!! In fact it might be the BEST Apple product I have bought in the last 10 years. It is that good.
I did my first ECG (EKG and was told my heart rhythm is normal. Of course I will have to get used to charging the watch every day or at least every 18 hours. It came 100% charged. I will write a review about it after a few weeks of using it or a month at the latest.
Since Stella figured out I was not going to hang her from the highest rafters, give her away or keep her outside as punishment ... she was more interested in finding a car door that was opened or one she could open for a ride around town. Or, she was smelling the bag of dog food in back of the car, locked up.
I had another toy show up in the mail today. It's a Canon G9 X Mark II, with a 1" sensor and from I have been told by a friend that recommended the camera to me, it will do just as well if not better than my Nikon D3200. I am anxious to use it on the morning walks as soon as the rain stops. Maybe by tomorrow morning. In the meantime I'll take some photos with it in the house, low light conditions, so I can compare those with my iPhone 8+ photos.
To say the least, it's been quite a day. From being very happy, to pissed off, to laughing as she looked at me with those crazy eyes of hers, then feeling busy again while I read about the watch and the new camera.
No worries .. I just had to add a little flavor of honesty to the story about Stella's escape.
I will continue to think of a Plan C for securing her when I am gone and I am always open to suggestions. Just remember, she is an EXPERT, not a normal dog you may have experienced with separation anxiety ... plus she is strong as an ox. :)
Friday night in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana, exciting times!!
